The Predator: Hunting Grounds free weekend is finally here! If you’re not sure when it’ll start being available, here are the times:

• Japan / Asia: 15:00 JST
• Europe / Australia / New Zealand: 17:00 CET
• North America: 17:00 PST

The trial will end 29 March 23:59 JST / CET / PST. The Playstation Blog has provided some helpful tips for both the Fireteam and the Predator which you can find below:

Focus

First of all, be focused on your goals to win the match. If you are the Predator, your mission is clear- take out the Fireteam and collect your trophies. Nothing else matters. If you are the Fireteam, you will have specific objectives against AI that you will need to accomplish, get that done and escape with your lives to win the match. You definitely have the option to hunt the Predator which will earn you more XP, but consider risk vs. reward especially when you are playing to win.

Fireteam

Stay Close Together, but Not Too Close

Staying nearby to help each other out is imperative. If the Predator does manage to attack someone, everyone can be right there to fight the Predator off or hunt him down. One guy goes down, two push the Predator back while the last player revives their buddy, then regroup. Being apart allows the Predator to set up potential traps with downed teammates that will never end well. And of course, being too close will be an easy target for plasma splash damage.

Mud Up Consistently

Remember the original movie when Dutch covered himself with mud to hide himself from the Predator? You can do that in our game! There is no shortage of muddy areas in the jungle, so mud up consistently to hide your heat signature from the Predator. The Predator can easily miss a mudded up Fireteam member when it uses its thermal vision similar to the films. This avoids the Predator auto scanning you when in close vicinity, is a great way to break up your silhouette and stay out of the Predator’s view when in foliage, and it also makes it harder for AI to detect you.

Spot and Pay Attention to Spots

If you can’t communicate via chat, you can use the spotting system to let your teammates know what you see. Whether it’s a health pack hidden, AI enemies, or the Predator jumping through the trees. When everyone can see the threat, it is much easier to act quickly on.

Roles and Classes

To be effective as a 4-person Fireteam, everyone should know their role and play to their class’ strengths. During the trial, you can choose to play three of the four classes that will come with the full game: Assault, Support, or Scout. A Scout excels at speed and agility, allowing them to run ahead to discover helpful items and complete objectives. Being a versatile class, Assault can cover the Scout, help complete missions, fight AI enemies, and prepare for when shit hits the fan. Lastly, Support can carry more helpful gear to resupply their team, help soak up damage in large battles with AI, and draw the Predator’s attention. A properly structured team will force the Predator to be extremely careful.

Keep Moving

Keep things moving. The more you can adjust your position, the more work the Predator has to do to find you. If the mission advances, try not to stay around and wait for nothing.

Predator

Tracking Down Your Prey

The Predator’s most powerful tool for tracking is their vision mode. Using this mode will allow the Predator to see sound disturbances (Gunfire/Explosions) across large distances to zero in on chaos that could potentially be caused by the Fireteam. The Predator can also use Target Isolation, a cooldown-based ability which sends out a pulse of energy that highlights the general area of the Fireteam members in the map.

Once closer, Fireteam targets will be scanned and marked to help distinguish them from NPC targets. Beware though, do not fully rely on these systems as they can be countered by Fireteam covering themselves in mud or suppressing their weapons.

Pick Your Battles

Not every opportunity is going to work out. If you feel things are getting chaotic, don’t be afraid to retreat so you can heal and recharge your weapons. This allows the Fireteam shift focus back to their mission and NPC enemies, allowing you a chance to re-strategize and hunt again. A full Fireteam is very well-equipped and will take down a Predator very quickly when working together, so beware of direct fights out in the open.

Keep the Fireteam Guessing

Use the jungle and trees to your advantage. Mix up your approach styles and angles so the Fireteam never knows where you are coming from next. If they manage to spot you in the trees on one side of the camp, get to the ground, circle the camp, and attack from a completely different angle.

Take Your Time

Play the long game. As the Predator you have the advantage of only a singular objective, and that is killing your prey. While the Fireteam is progressing through objectives and waves of enemies, you can be planning attacks and waiting for the right moment to strike. Charging in early can lead to a well-equipped Fireteam destroying even the best of Predators, so wait until their resources have been stretched for a much better chance of success. Sometimes poking enemies from a distance a few times throughout the match is enough to exhaust their healing supplies. Also, the point value of your prey increases the further they get into the mission, another incentive to wait before your strike.

Take the time to build your playstyle in the free weekend for Predator: Hunting Grounds. The game itself is just about a month away to launch, so get ready!